What Are Friends For?
by jacraan
Summary: Ever since that kiss, he couldn't get her out of his head. So he went to Wally for advice. Chalant. Set a couple week after "Auld Acquaintance" took place. Rated T for mild language and mentioned adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors Note: First Fanfiction, like ever. Let's see if this goes well.**_

* * *

The cave was empty except for the two of them. Kaldur was in Atlantis for the weekend, Artemis and Rocket were out in town, Wally was with his family, and Superboy and M'gann were out playing with Wolf.

So it was just the two of them,

By themselves,

Alone,

... _Together_.

Dick just stared at the ceiling; his body sprawled against the living room couch. The TV screen lit up the dim room, the colors blinking on the walls and stretched towards the kitchen, but Dick couldn't concentrate on the TV show. There were too many things on his mind.

Actually there was just one thing on his mind. One person, and he couldn't get her out. The thought of her ruby lips against his, his fingers entangled in her ebony hair, her arms wrapped around his neck, and that perky chest pressed against his-

_Oh okay wow, was it hot in here?_

He may be the boy wonder, but he was still a hormone-crazed teenager.

…

He needed to stop this.

It was starting to grow into a more serious problem instead of just a simple infatuation. He couldn't concentrate in school, during training, and especially during missions. He couldn't stop thinking about her, and when she was in the same room, stop staring at her. Sure during missions he had to keep an eye out for everyone, but he never kept his eyes off of her, not even for a second.

This was creepy, wasn't it? Oh god, he just couldn't stop, not after she kissed him last New Year's Eve. I mean, it was just a stupid kiss right? Everyone kisses on New Years. It's not anything special right?

So why couldn't he stop replaying that moment over and over again?

Dick groaned, rubbing his eyes with his calloused hands. They haven't talked about that kiss since it happened. She never brought it up, so that means he shouldn't either, right? It would just make everything awkward.

Then again, it was already awkward. Whenever she talked to him he would stutter, his face would go dark red, and he couldn't even look her straight in the eye. This one time she caught him staring at her, and all he could do was look away and hide his shame. How can one girl make him act like this?

"Hey what are you watching?"

The boy sprang out from his seat, turning around to see the exact girl taking over his thoughts leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Oh sorry, didn't mean to scare you there." Zatanna laughed.

"It's fine don't worry about It." he sighed, sitting back down on the couch.

Zatanna took a deep breath and walked over to the couch, plopping herself down next to the boy wonder. Dick shifted in his seat, noticeably scooting a bit further away from the magician. Then came the awkward silence. They both stared at the TV screen in front of them, but it was pretty obvious neither of them were paying attention. Dick kept stealing glances at Zatanna, who was looking down at her fiddling fingers. He should probably say something, but he just couldn't think of what to-

"Is something wrong?" Zatanna blurted out.

Dick turned his head towards her. She was still staring at her hands. He cleared his throat.

"Why would you say that?" he managed to say.

Zatanna looked up at him, her eyebrows raised, "Why? You keep avoiding me ever since-" her voice trailed off.

"Since when?"

"Since I kissed you." She said meekly.

"Zatanna I haven't been avoiding you."

"You're a liar."

Dick buried his face into his hands. "I'm not lying."

Zatanna grabbed Dick's hand, forcing him to look up at her. "Yes you are." He yanked his hand out of her grip. "Fine maybe I am." Dick stood up from the couch and started walking towards the kitchen, Zatanna trailing right behind him.

"Robin, we need to talk about that night!"

"So now we do?"

Dick spun around. Zatanna stopped her steps just before running into him. "Zatanna I've been waiting to talk about that kiss ever since we got home from The Watchtower that night but right now I'm just not in the mood-" "If we don't talk about it now we're probably never going to." She interrupted.

Dick turned back around and started going for the door.

"Robin!"

His steps didn't stop

"Robin please just listen!"

Dick kept walking.

"Pots mih ni sih skcart!"

Dick's feet stopped. "Zatanna did you really just?!"

"Robin you wouldn't let me finish."

"I don't want you to finish!" he snapped.

Zatanna just starred at him

Oh god now didn't he feel like a, well no pun intended, _dick_.

"Zatanna I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's fine I understand."

"Zatan-"

"Esaeler mih morf ym lleps." She mumbled.

Dick felt his feet come back into his control. He started walking towards Zatanna. "Look I'm sor-"

"Forget it. If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine." Zatanna spun around and started walking back down the hall to her room.

Dick didn't chase after. Didn't try to explain why he yelled at her. Didn't apologize.

Geez what was wrong with him these days?

The boy ran his fingers through his dark hair. His heart was beating 100 times a second. What was going on with him? He just lost his cool when he was around Zatanna.

"God I'm such an idiot. Way to be traught."

Dick walked over to the kitchen counter and leaned over like Zatanna did minutes before. He didn't know what to do with himself. Without really thinking he slipped a hand into his pocket and grabbed his phone, mindlessly dialing the number he called countless of times.

"Hello?" Wally's voice chimed in Dick's ear.

"Wally I need help."

* * *

**To be continued. Probably tomorrow after class.**


	2. Chapter 2

The night's air spread goose bumps over his whole body. Car's headlights blinded Dick as he walked along the road, his hands buried deep into his pockets. He could tell by the frost on the windows and the freezing air that the first snowfall of the year was coming soon, probably in the next couple days. God, he just wanted to get there as soon as possible.

His strides became longer and longer as the house came into his sight. It wasn't too long before he was hopping up the steps and knocking on the front door with the back of his hand.

"Just a minute!"

Dick shifted his weight back and forth from his heels to his toes. Damn it, he was freezing his butt out here. All he wanted to do was-

"Hey man!"

Wally's obnoxiously joyful face popped out from behind the front door. Dick could feel the heat from his house on his face.

"Wow it's freezing out there."

"You don't say." Dick said between his chattering teeth.

_Then they just stared at each other._

"Well aren't you going to invite me in?" Dick snapped.

"Oh right! Sorry." Wally opened the door wider and stepped aside. The boy hurried inside, taking off his shoes and winter jacket and plopping them onto the floor next to the door.

"You have no idea how happy I am to feel my face again." Dick said as he rubbed his red cheeks.

The red haired boy laughed, "No kidding. You can go ahead and run up to my room. I'll go and make some hot cocoa, looks like you're going to need it."

Dick nodded and climbed up the staircase, taking a left, and headed to the end of the hallway to Wally's room. It was the same as always, piles of clothes everywhere, a bookcase in the corner of the room, but the actual books were laid out on the floor and on the bed, oh and speaking of the bed it wasn't made. What a shocker.

_ Oh wait this was new._

Dick walked over to the bed and scooted over some of the things crowded around on it to make a spot for him to sit down. He then grabbed the picture frame that was on the side table. Inside was a picture of Artemis and Wally during their first date. Oh how cute.

Dick slid out his phone and took a picture of it.

"Dude what are you doing?"

The boy turned around and saw Wally holding a tray of some cookies his mom probably made for dessert that night and 2 mugs of hot chocolate.

"Wow I didn't expect you to be one of those boyfriends who kept a framed picture of their girlfriend beside their bed."

"Give that back!" Wally dropped the tray haphazardly on his desk and quickly, as a speedster could, lunged over and grabbed the frame from Dick's hands.

"Don't tell anyone on the team about this or I swear to god-"

"Too late." Dick laughed as his fingers clicked on the SEND button.

"Don't you tell me-"

"That I just sent the picture to the whole team? Oh okay I won't" a grin spread across the boy's face.

"Great Artemis will never let me live this down. God if you weren't my best friend I would totally strangle you right now."

"Good to know."

Wally fell, face down, onto his bed. "I can already hear her laughing." Wally groaned, the bed muffling his cries of embarrassment.

"Anyway man I'm not here to talk about your girl problems, I'm here to talk about mine." Robin leaned over, propping his head up with the palm of his hand.

Wally sat back up, "Alright then, spill it."


	3. Chapter 3

"Well aren't you in a total mess then." Wally said bluntly after Dick finished telling him his dilemma.

"Look, I don't even know why I went to you for advice about this." Dick leaned over and grabbed a cookie from the already half empty plate. They were both on his bed with the tray in between them.

"Because I'm a sensitive guy who has a way with the ladies?"

"More like Aqualad was gone and Superboy wouldn't be much of a help so you would be the only one left."

"Oh wow didn't take you much to shoot me right in the heart huh?"

The boy grabbed his mug and brought it to his lips, the sweet hot liquid warming up his whole body. With a sigh he set it back on the tray.

"So the boy wonder can hack into The Justice League's super computer and Bruce Wayne's security, but can't hack into a girl's brain?  
"Girls are far more complicated than a super computer, Wally."

The red head laughed and looked at the picture frame on his side table, "Aren't they all."

"Okay lover boy tell me your secrets."

"I thought I would never see the day when our very own Dick Grayson begged me for advice." Wally sighed, clutching his heart.

"Yeah, yeah, you can make fun of me later." The boy wonder groaned.

Wally smiled, sitting up straight and crossing his legs, like a kindergarten student listening to his teacher read a story.

"I have no clue why I snapped like that. I feel horrible. She just wanted to talk about the kiss and-"

"..and what?"

"I don't know. I just don't want to talk about it."

"...and why?"  
Dick shook his head. "Why? I don't know why Wally."

Wally laid down on his bed, staring at the blank ceiling.

"Maybe you just don't want to hear what she has to say."

"Yeah probably." Dick ran a hand through his hair.  
"Maybe you're afraid." Wally blurted.

"Wait.. What?"

"Dick you're afraid."

"Afraid of what? Hearing what she has to say?"

Wally nodded.

"Why would I be afraid? Because I'm afraid of-"

"being rejected." Wally finished.

Then the room went silent. Dick stared at the plate in front of him.

"I guess. I've been replaying that kiss over and over again. Fantasizing about her. I just don't want that to end."

"Dick it won't end. I mean, maybe. But you won't know until you make a move."

"And how do you expect me to do that?" he asked curiously.

"Well tell me what you like about her." The speedster asked.

"What?" Dick exclaimed.

Wally just shook his head. "Why. Do. You. Like. Her?" he repeated.

The boy rubbed the back of his neck, his eyebrow furrowed. "I don't know…"

"Oh come on man of there must be a reason."

"Of course there is! It's just embarrassing."

"Well someone isn't traught." Wally laughed, using one of Dick's words against him.

Dick stared at Wally, who was leaning in towards him waiting for the details. Stalling time, Dick grabbed another cookie and took a bite. Slowly chewing it before taking another bite and chewing that even slower. Wally just watched Dick deliberately take his time, before the boy grabbed another cookie. Wally slapped the cookie out of his hand.

"Geez stop that!" Wally yelled.

"Dude my cookie!" Dick yelled louder.

"Stop stalling!"

"I just don't like talking about this." The boy sulked.

"Well you're the one who came to me for help."

The boy wonder groaned, burying his face into his lap to hide his obvious blush.

"Everything. I like everything about her, Wally."

Wally smiled. The simple crush of a boy going through puberty, oh awkward young love at its finest.

"Be more specific. What is it about her that makes you go all bat shit crazy like this?"

"Wally did you just-"

"Yes I just made a bad bat pun, but Dick stop trying to get off topic. We can both laugh about my hilarious joke later."

Dick shook his head. "I don't know. The way she bats her eyes when she talks? Or how smooth her voice seems to go through my ears. The way her hips sway when she walks. or when those blue eyes of hers crinkle when she smiles. How she always seems to know exactly what's on my mind or how she takes action during missions without a second thought. I love how she tucks her soft hair behind her ear and her laugh when I make corny jokes. The feeling of her lips against mine and how her tongue darted-"

"Oh okay! Getting a bit to detailed there." Wally interrupted.

"God, sorry I don't know what's going on with me." Dick sighed, burying his head back in his lap.

Wally chuckled, "Tell her."

"What?!" Dick yelled, "Dude I can't tell her all of that!"

"Why not?"

"B-Because.. Because.."

"Because you're a chicken that's why. How is it that you can go into a mission without any regrets but when it comes to telling Zatanna you like her you run away like a baby? Take that courage you get with missions and use it Dick."

The boy didn't know what to say. He was right, absolutely right.

"Now go back to the cave, apologize to her, and get that kiss I know you've been craving for since New Years." Wally grabbed Dick's shoulders and guided him to the door and down the stairs.

"Alright, alright, I'm going." The boy whined.

Dick slid his feet back into his shoes and shrugged into his jacket. Once he was ready he opened the door, feeling the familiar burst of cold, and stepped outside.

"One more thing." Dick said, facing the dark road.

"What?" Wally asked.

Dick turned around and smiled. "Thanks man." He said, patting the speedster's shoulder.

Wally grinned, "Anytime."


	4. Chapter 4

"Recognized. Robin, B01." the automatic voice echoed throughout the cave. The familiar light vanished as Dick trotted towards the living room.

"Hey Robin." M'gaan smiled as he walked in. "I haven't seen you all day." The martian was in the kitchen cooking what looked to be a late dinner for the team, and Superboy was on the coach watching T.V with wolf.

"Yeah I've been over at Wally's all night." Robin said as he fell onto the couch adjacent to Superboy. He would've sat right beside him if wolf didn't take up the whole couch. There was a ding from the oven, "Oh good the brownies are done." M'gaan said and she slid her hands into her oven mitts.

"Why, he need help with Artemis?" Connor asked with his eyes still glued to the television screen.

"Nah, I asked him for some advice about Zatanna."

M'gaan almost dropped the tray of brownies.

Superboy's eyes left the TV screen and gazed over at Robin.

"You. Go for Wally. _For advice_." Connor said sarcastically.

"And about Zatanna too? Is something wrong with your head?"

Dick rubbed the back of his neck, "Eh, maybe. But it wasn't like it was bad advice. Wally can be really mature when he needs to." He tilted his head back onto the couch and stretched his arms out, "But he usually isn't." The boy smirked.

Connor shook his head. "I still think you're an idiot for going to Wally for relationship advice. I mean, we are talking about our Wally West?"

"Good point, but he does have a girlfriend now so he must be doing something right."

"Anyway what kind of advice did you ask him about? Want a girl's perspective on it?" M'gaan asked as she cut the brownies into small squares.

"I think I'm fine, but I probably need to make things better as soon as I can." He lifted himself back onto his feet. "Have you seen Zatanna?"

M'gaan shook her head. "No I haven't. Not since we got home."

"She's probably in her room." Superboy added.

Dick nodded, "Yeah probably. I'll be right back then." He started walking down the hallway.

"Hey wait, take these with you!" M'gaan held out a plate with a couple of the brownies on it.

"What are these for?"

"Well whatever you did wrong must be big if you had to got to Wally for advice, and chocolate _always_ makes a girl's mood at least a little bit better. Wouldn't want it to be a disaster."

"Oh don't worry, we'll all be feeling the aster." Dick popped a brownie into his mouth and walked down the hallway towards the magician's room.

* * *

"Hey Zatanna can we talk?" Dick yelled, hoping Zatanna would hear him through her door. He heard a murmur coming from the room and then the door swung open. Zatanna was laying on her bed, her back facing Robin.

"I thought you didn't want to talk. That you didn't want to listen to a word I said." Zatanna said bluntly.

_Oh wow was she pissed._

_Good thing he had the brownies._

Dick took in a deep breath and walked into her room, "Well I'm ready to listen now."

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**Sorry about the late chapter, I've been caught up with midterms and tons of holiday things. Also sorry it's kind of short, running on a writers block these couple of days, but don't worry there will be a lot more chalant in the next and final chapter, which will probably be up this weekend. Keep an eye out for it!**


	5. Chapter 5

Zatanna didn't say anything, her back still facing Dick. The girl nestled her head more into her pillow, trying to hide her face into it. She didn't want to look at Robin. Not after all of that. She knew once she even glanced at him she would freak out. Her face would go all red. Oh god, how embarrassing. She didn't want to risk that.

"Okay so now that I want to listen you wont talk to me?" Dick sighed, sitting down on the edge of her bed. She could feel his body heat through the thin blanket. The blush on her face seemed to deepen, so she buried her face even more into the pillow.

"Just leave me alone." She mumbled.

"Zatanna I can't understand a word you say with your face pressed against your pillow like that."

The girl shot up from her bed and turned to face him. "Robin can you just leave!" she yelled. Dick stood up as well, they're faces level. "No can do." Then he gently pushed her against the wall and pressed his arms on the wall, beside both sides of her head.

"Robin, what the hell are you-"

Dick leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

_Well wasn't that one way to shut her up._

Zatanna grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away. "R-Robin stop-"

Dick leaned in further, this time bringing up a hand to cup her face.

She fought with herself. She should pull away from him. She should make him leave for doing this to her, for making her go through all this drama.

But why did it feel so good?

Zatanna gave in to his kiss. Her hands loosened their grip on his shoulders, and soon relaxed around his neck.

"I'm sorry." Dick bowed his head into the crook of her neck. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. It's just that I've been confused. These feelings I have for you. I-I just don't know what to do with them."

"Robin." She didn't know what else to say. Her lips could only make out his name.

"Robin I-"

"Wait let me finish." Dick looked up back at her. His eyes were covered with his sunglasses but could still make out the color of her eyes. They were such an intense blue and god why did it give him chills like this?

"Zatanna I like you. Like really like you. Not just because we kissed that night. I've liked you before that too. I've had this secret infatuation with you and I thought if I just kept my mind off of things, off of you, they would all go away." He shook his head, "but they never did." Dick's face was burning red. Both of their faces were.

"I really hope we can stay friends. You know, if you don't feel the same feelings I do. I know we probably can't go back to what we had before. Of course, I would like to try and make it work. " The boy wonder straightened his back and took a couple steps back to give her some room. Zatanna collected herself and leaned off her bedroom wall.

"But I think you're this super awesome amazing person, and I really hope you think _I'm_ this super awesome amazing person too, and I just really want to spend a lot more time with you. Crap, I don't even know what I'm saying." Dick rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes drifting off and avoiding her's.

She took a couple steps forward, just enough so they were only a few inches apart.

"Robin, look at me." She blurted.

Dick slowly brought his eyes over to her.

She didn't say anything at first. All she did was stare at him, making Dick extremely nervous. He kept glancing around the room, but his eyes would always return back to hers. He could feel her breath against his skin. They were so close; he could just lean a bit and steal another kiss if he wanted too.

But Zatanna beat him right to it and smacked her lips right on his.

His eyes widened as she pulled away.

"You know how long I've been waiting for you to say that?" she smiled. Robin just stood their gawking at her.

"Z-Zatanna I-"

"thus pu dna ssik em."

_So he did._

Zatanna ran her fingers through his ebony hair. Dick smiled, his lips not leaving hers. He wrapped his arms around her small waist, pressing her closer against his body. Zatanna answered to that with her tongue slowly sliding its way into his mouth, He groaned and hugged her even tighter.

"God, where have you been all my life?" he chuckled.

Zatanna smiled and pulled away, "Wasn't that cheesy." She laughed.

"Oh I'm a cheesy guy." He replied.

"I bet you are."

Zatanna pecked his lips one more time before wrapping her fingers on his sunglasses. "Do you mind if i-?"

"Be my guest."

Zatanna nodded and gently slid off his sunglasses, exposing his icy blue eyes. A grin spread across the magician's face.

"May I ask what your real name is?"

Dick smiled, "It's Richard Grayson, but you can just call me Dick."

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**And there you have it. The End. I hope you enjoyed this story! I'll have a lot more where that came from. Please leave reviews. Feedback and criticism welcomed.**


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